HEALTH

For some reason I love to crack everything: my knuckles, my back and my neck. My parents want me to stop because they think it will hurt my joints but I can't! What damage will it actually do?

We all have those little habits that are hard to break, like biting our nails, chewing on pens and, of course, cracking our knuckles. While cracking your knuckles, back or neck isn’t really that bad if you do it every once in a while, there are some consequences if you just can’t stop cracking.

Cracking a joint means that you’re moving the joint either into or out of the position it’s normally in. It’s not really good to move any joint out of its normal position, and while it doesn’t cause arthritis like mom may claim, cracking those knuckles of yours may cause your hand to swell. It could also damage the tissues and ligaments around your joints, causing you to lose tightness in your grip and hold those pencils a little more loosely.

Although there is little harm in cracking your knuckles, cracking your back or neck is another story. It may feel like you’re relieving some of the pressure or pain you’re experiencing, but those pains will return and you’ll find yourself wanting to crack all over again, continuing the vicious cycle. Continuous cracking can make your ligaments a lot less elastic than they once were, so your muscles get tired easily since they’re working harder than they used to.

In addition to the damage that cracking may cause your body, it’s bothering the people around you, like your parents. Hearing someone crack his or her knuckles, back, or neck can be quite annoying, so try to stop the cracking ASAP. Whenever you find yourself wanting to do it, scribble on your notebook instead or twiddle your thumbs together until you stop thinking about it. Distracting your hands will def do the trick, and consciously thinking about it will also help. Good luck, girlie!

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